Time Traveler Katsumi: Return of the Story
by weezerz2490
Summary: After a long hiatus, it's back! Picking up where the first fic and oneshot left off, Katsumi continues her adventure and fight for love alongside Sesshoumaru and fellow traveling companions Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un. But it won't be easy. Naraku has nearly completed the Shikon no Tama, and he's willing to do anything—anything—to get his hands on the last pieces.
1. Dangerous Liaisons

Hi, just a friendly reminder since it's been awhile, but this fanfic series is based on a mish-mash of both the anime and manga, so I apologize in advance if that gets too confusing. (^_^;) I'm also warning you that I'll be using a weird combo of English and Japanese because I think some Japanese words, like honorifics, make more sense or show the nuances in relationships better. If you have any questions or get confused, feel free to ask. (^_^)

Also, 'Time Traveler Katsumi: Down The Rabbit Hole Again' was originally meant to be a one-shot, because I thought I wasn't going to continue this series, but I was suddenly struck with inspiration… so I will. As a result, some of the events may be out of order towards the beginning because I wanted to skip ahead and include certain episodes/chapters before wrapping the original fic up, and now I feel like I need to add some of the stuff I skipped back in, so let's just all please pretend the order I wrote it all in is correct for now. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I hope you enjoy the story! ^_^

I do not own anything other than my OC.

* * *

unless specified, the POV will be third person omniscient

"Japanese Speech"

'thoughts'

**"English speech"**

—∞—|—∞— Scene and/or time transition

—∞— shift between areas of action or POV within the same scene/location

{Stage directions/ setting}

* * *

He could hear it. Someone dangerous was approaching his swamp.

GLUB. GLUB. GURGGLE…

The surface of the water bubbled up around Mimisenri's large cranium as he raised it to get a better listen to determine exactly who or what this approaching danger was. He grinned when his suspicions were confirmed. His great, big ears were still as sharp as ever. They had to be, or else there was no way a blind youkai like him could have ever survived in this harsh world.

"Ke-ke-ke… So you came, Naraku." Mimisenri cackled. "I could hear you coming from over 4 ri away." He could hear the telltale buzzing of saimyōshō as well.

"Oh-ho… Well, that makes things easier." Naraku said, allowing the whirlwind around him to dissipate as he landed to stand on the shores of the swamp before the deformed and grotesque youkai. "Mimisenri. You are said to possess ears that can hear everything in this world." Naraku stated grimly, all business. It irked him that he could not locate the remaining shard with his own power, and the infant and Kagura had failed to corrupt Kagome and bring her under their control so he could make use of her eyes.

"Indeed, Naraku, I've heard rumors about you as well. Do you intend to absorb my ears into your body as well, eh?" Mimisenri asked, cocking his head to the side as his lips twisted into a mad grin that showed what were left of his crooked and jagged teeth.

"Don't worry. I have no interest in your filthy body." Naraku stated, not even bothering to hid his disgust. Bitch, _please_. He wasn't anywhere near that desperate. "Mimisenri… have you heard about where the remaining Shikon shards could be?"

"Well, then… as per the rumors between youkai, Naraku… Isn't it true that you have almost all of the shards in your hands?" Mimisenri asked.

"One more…" Naraku said. "There's only one remaining fragment that I don't know the location of."

"Humph, then… I shall listen carefully…" Mimisenri said, lifting his head to the dark sky. He hadn't missed the veiled threat laced in Naraku's voice. If he couldn't tell Naraku what he wanted to know… Well, who knows what this uppity but dangerous hanyou might do to him?

—∞—|—∞—

{The Next Day...}

Once again, Sesshoumaru was leading Katsumi and the others on a trek through a forest, when certain someone's tiny tummy let out a big growl.

"I take it you're hungry, Rin?" Katsumi asked, smiling wryly in amusement, as she glanced back to see Rin holding her tummy and trying to keep it quiet while perched on Ah-Un's back.

"Yes. Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin is hungry. May I go and look for something to eat?" Rin asked sweetly.

"Be quiet, Rin!" Jaken snapped, earning him a sharp look from Katsumi. "A forest like this will have nothing for you to eat. Just bear it." Katsumi raised an eyebrow at that. Was he serious?

"But…" Rin said hesitantly, not quite ready to give up.

"No buts!" Jaken said.

"But, aren't we always foraging for food in forests like this?" Katsumi pointed out. This forest didn't look that different from any of the others they had already been through.

"I'll be real quick!" Rin promised as she suddenly hopped off of Ah-Un's saddle and made a quick break for the woods before any of them could stop her.

"That girl!" Jaken said, nearly face-palming.

"Wow, Rin's really growing up. She's gotten so fast!" Katsumi said, smiling proudly after her adopted little sister. "I guess I might as well get some food too real quick while we're stopping. I'll be right back!" She told Sesshoumaru, giving them a little wave as she darted off into the woods after Rin.

"Hey! Get back here, you—" Jaken started to yell after her.

"Jaken!" Sesshoumaru said sternly, stopping the imp cold. "Leave them be."

'Ugh… I can't believe this…' Jaken thought, sighing. How did those two always manage to get away with stunts like this when he, Sesshoumaru-sama's most faithful servant, who had been serving him since long before either of those two brats were even born, could not?

—∞—

"Ah~!" Rin gasped in delight when she spotted some mushrooms growing on a tree. "Ne, Katsumi-nee! Do you think these are edible?" She asked excitedly, eager to fill her empty stomach and stop her hunger pains.

"Hmm, let's see…" Katsumi said thoughtfully as she squatted down beside Rin to inspect them. "I don't think they're deadly, but they don't exactly look too safe to eat either…" In fact, they kind of looked and smelled like they might have some kind of psychotropic chemicals in them, and the last thing any of them wanted was for the adorable eight-year-old to be tripping out of her mind on 'shrooms.

"!" Katsumi gasped when felt something start to shift in the ground and the smell of a youkai suddenly hit her nose. "Rin, get back!" Katsumi said urgently, pushing Rin behind her she spun around to face a huge and scaly green hand as it burst forth from the ground behind them.

"Kyaa!" Rin screamed, startled. It tried to grab them, but Katsumi had already drawn her sword. It was over in flash. With one clean strike, Katsumi cleaved the large youkai's hand in half, slicing through its thick skin, muscles, and bones like butter.

"Wow~! So cool, Katsumi-nee!" Rin cheered as Katsumi sheathed her sword.

"Haha, thanks Rin." Katsumi said, blushing a little as she rubbed the back of her neck, a little shy to be praised so enthusiastically for something so simple. "Come on. Let's see if we can find something edible before Sesshoumaru-sama gets tired of wait—_!_?" Katsumi whipped her head around, alarmed to hear the familiar buzzing of saimyōshō. Her eyes widened when she realized the swarm was forming out of the remains of the hand she had just cut. "What the…_!_? Sesshoumaru_!_!"

—∞—

Sesshoumaru instantly snapped to attention when he heard Katsumi shout for him. He had assumed she could handle the weak youkai he smelled on her own, but clearly something had gone wrong.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken gasped, startled when Sesshoumaru suddenly took off like a shot. "Wait for me!"

—∞—

"!" Sesshoumaru said when he saw the swarm for himself, surprised to see so many of them. No wonder Katsumi had called for him. There were far too many for her to handle on her own while trying to protect Rin. Fortunately, she had somehow managed to erect a small kekkai around herself and Rin, similar to the one that had saved them from being absorbed by Naraku, to shield them from the swarm of saimyōshō. It seems training her had paid off… However, Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes slightly when he realized she had been stung on her left arm. Fortunately, it seems she was able to remove the stingers in time, because although she had a thin sheen of sweat glistening on her forehead and had paled slightly, she still had enough strength to stand and fight.

" Hah! Those are poisonous saimyōshō!" Jaken exclaimed, sweating nervously, when he realized the mess he had just followed them into.

"No. Really?" Katsumi asked sarcastically, feigning a look of exaggerated surprise. She wasn't really in the best of moods at the moment since saimyōshō stings hurt like a mother.

"Don't lower your kekkai." Sesshoumaru told her calmly as he drew Tokijin. "That Naraku… He left behind some annoying vermin." He raised his sword as the saimyōshō solidified back into the form of a youkai hand. "Jaken. There should be a hive nearby."

"Yes! I'll go look for it." Jaken said, immediately understanding his lord's intentions. The imp wasted no time as he raced off to find the saimyōshō hive so it could be destroyed.

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru faced the huge, disembodied youkai hand, gracefully dodging its attacks before delivering his own blow, slicing it cleanly in half, just as Katsumi had earlier.

"Tch." Sesshoumaru clicked his tongue when the hand simply reverted back into a swarm of poisonous insects, clearly annoyed beneath his stoic expression.

"Yeah, I tried already tried that. It didn't work for me either." Katsumi said sympathetically, smiling a little wryly, as she sweat dropped. That didn't make Sesshoumaru feel any better, however, he did take great satisfaction in watching the irritating insects disintegrate when blasted them with his sword's kenatsu. There were hardly any of the pests left now.

"Wah~! Sesshoumaru-sama's so cool!" Rin gushed, full of admiration for their hero.

"Ah!" Rin gasped behind her. "Jaken-sama, look!" Rin shouted, pointing to a tree a couple of yards away. "There! The hive of the poison insects!"

"Whaa…" Jaken said, a little impressed Rin was able to spot that with her human eyes from her position inside Katsumi's barrier… not that he would ever admit it. "Take this! Nintoujou!" Jaken shouted, aiming his staff at the hive, torching it to a crisp. "Hah! Take that!"

"Nice one, Jaken." Katsumi said, impressed he managed to get something right without ripping over himself.

"Yay! You saved us~!" Rin cheered, jumping up and down. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Yeah, you really saved us." Katsumi said, sighing in relief. She was about to drop her barrier when two extremely lucky saimyōshō that had managed to dodge Sesshoumaru's attack, flew out of from hiding place. They were trying to escape!

"If I pursue them…" Sesshoumaru thought out loud, following the fleeing with sharp eyes. If he pursued them, they just might lead him to Naraku… Sesshoumaru glanced at Katsumi. Judging by the look of comprehension and understanding in her eyes, she had come to the same conclusion.

"I'll be fine. Go kick his ass." Katsumi said, grinning impishly despite her pain as she gave him a thumbs up. And jut like that, Sesshoumaru was gone, hot on the new trail to Naraku.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama_!_?" Jaken said, startled when he realized he was being left behind again. "Wait, Sesshoumaru-samaaaa!" He cried, hurrying to scramble after his lord.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Rin." Katsumi said, ruffling her the younger girl's hair, as she let out a sigh of relief and released the barrier before dropping to the ground. Even though she could usually make a kekkai whenever she wanted, it still left her pretty wiped to keep it up. "Ah-ah, and I thought regular wasp stings were painful… No wonder Miroku has such a problem with these buggers." Although she didn't feel like her life was in any danger at the moment, her arm felt like it had been doused in kerosene and lit on fire using an industrial blowtorch.

"Is that so? My apologies." A deep and dangerously familiar voice said from right behind them.

"_!_?" Katsumi exclaimed, instantly jumping to her feet and placing herself protectively in front of Rin. "Naraku! What're _you_ doing here_!_?" She demanded, glaring fiercely, at him as she drew Taifu-Kochou. She couldn't believe he had managed to sneak up on her like that. Even with him only a foot away, she still hadn't been able to sense even a hint of his presence or scent! Katsumi decided she really hated Naraku's new barrier. Why did the bad guys always end up getting the good stuff?

It was barely audible, but Katsumi heard Rin utter a small whimper as she hid from her abductor, gripping her Katsumi-nee's kimono for comfort. Katsumi grit her teeth as she tightened her grip on her sword. Barrier-schmarrier, if he tried to touch so much as a hair on Rin's head, she was going kill him. He was never getting his slimy tentacles on her again. _That was a promise._

"Hn. That's a great look you have in your eye, Katsumi-_chan_." Naraku said, smirking deviously at her. "But I wonder what exactly you think drawing you sword is going to accomplish? We both know your attacks are useless against my barrier. Are you sure you want to pick a fight with me, when all came here for was to ask you a few questions?"

"…" Katsumi said as she kept her sword aimed at him, wondering just how stupid he thought she was. If all he wanted to do was ask questions, then why bother setting up that saimyōshō hive trick to lure Sesshoumaru away? No, actually, there might have been a legitimate reason for that when you consider the fact that Sesshoumaru would've started trying to kill him on sight, regardless of Naraku's new and super-improved portable barrier… Still, this is _Naraku_ we're talking about here. Who knows what kind of underhanded tricks he's got waiting up his sleeve.

Naraku chuckled, abruptly bringing her back to the real world and the danger facing her and Rin.

"What's so funny?" Katsumi asked tartly. She really wanted to smack that smug smirk off his face.

"Oh, nothing really… I just find it entertaining to watch you think. You're a very honest girl, aren't you? Even while silently thinking to yourself, whatever emotions you feel are clearly written all over your face." He explained, obviously amused. His amusement only grew at the priceless expression on her face upon hearing that. "It's such a shame. You know you can't win against me, and it would be a waste to kill someone so amusing... So why don't you just save yourself a lot of pain and grief, and cooperate with me, like a good girl?"

A vein mark throbbed on Katsumi's forehead.

"Is that so? Well, when you put it that way…" Katsumi said, smiling a brilliant shit-eating grin that did very little to conceal her irritation and anger. Honestly, she wanted nothing more than kick Naraku's snarky ass, but as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She couldn't beat him on her own, and if she started a fight with him here, it would put Rin in danger… Katsumi sighed, resigning herself for the unsavory task ahead of her.

"Alright, Naraku. I'll talk… but only if you let Rin leave first."


	2. The Scream

I do not own anything other than my OC.

* * *

unless specified, the POV will be third person omniscient

"Japanese Speech"

'thoughts'

**"English speech"**

—∞—|—∞— Scene and/or time transition

—∞— shift between areas of action or POV within the same scene/location

{Stage directions/ setting}

* * *

**Previously:**

_Honestly, she wanted nothing more than kick Naraku's snarky ass, but as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She couldn't beat him on her own, and if she started a fight with him here, it would put Rin in danger… Katsumi sighed, resigning herself for the unsavory task ahead of her. _

_"Alright, Naraku. I'll talk… but only if you let Rin leave first."_

* * *

"Very well." Naraku conceded. He only needed Katsumi anyway.

"Rin, listen… I want you to go get Ah-Un and take him for a _long walk_. Understand?" Katsumi said meaningfully in a tone that left no room for argument. No matter what, she needed to get Rin as far away from Naraku as possible.

"But… I…!" Rin didn't want to leave her Katsumi-nee all alone with such a dangerous enemy, but seeing the look in her eyes, Rin knew what Katsumi wanted. She knew what she had to do. Rin clenched her fists as she turned and ran. 'Don't worry, Katsumi-nee!' Rin thought anxiously as she searched for the two-headed dragon. 'Rin's going to get help! I'll get Sesshoumaru-sama!'

It felt like forever to Katsumi as she stood there, staring down their nemesis, while she waited for Rin's and Ah-Un's scents to fade away until they had fled to a safe enough distance. Only then did she finally allow herself to relax enough to lower her sword.

"So, what exactly did you want to know?" Katsumi asked, wondering what on earth Naraku could possibly want to pick _her_ brain for.

"Hmph. Straight to point, I see." Naraku said, smirking. Well, at least she wasn't going to waste any more of his valuable time. "I have it on good authority that there's something I want in the border between worlds."

"The border between worlds…?" Katsumi asked, blinking. Which worlds? He couldn't have found out about the well, could he…?

"Yes. The border between this world and the next, between life and the afterlife." Naraku explained.

"O–kaay…?" Katsumi said skeptically, almost wondering if Naraku hadn't been snacking on one or two of those questionable 'shrooms in the previous chapter. "Well, I don't know what that has to do with me, but if you're looking for someone to dispatch you, then I have no problem with sending you there. It'll be a one-way trip though." She added, beaming up at him with a brilliant shit-eating grin plastered on her face.

"Ku-ku-ku… I must admit, at first I was at a loss as to how to proceed…" Naraku said, chuckling darkly. This girl certainly had a lot of guts to be mouthing off to him like that. "But then I remembered something… You died up on Mt. Hakurei, didn't you?" He asked shrewdly, smirking when her grin faltered slightly.

"Ah, I take it your saimyōshō told you, huh? What does my little near death experience at the hands of your zombie henchmen have to do with anything?" Katsumi asked, wishing Naraku would just get to the point. She probably could have figured out what he was trying to say, but right now she'd rather keep her powers of concentration focused on watching Naraku so she could be ready to go at the slightest hint of movement from him, if and when he decided to attack.

"Why, isn't is obvious, Katsumi-chan? I want to know what you saw when you crossed the border." Naraku said, moving closer. Now that he really had time to look at her, he was starting to realize just how attractive this girl was.

Katsumi's eyes widened slightly in surprise as she took a step back, trying to maintain the space between them.

"Dude, not so close... I have a thing about spiders. They make my make me wanna hurl." She told him, covering her mouth as if she were going to be sick. Naraku seemed to have lost his sense of humor, judging by harsh glare he was now shooting at her. He must still be sensitive about the whole Onigumo-spider-scar thing, even after discarding his heart.

"You said you would talk, now talk! Tell me what I want to know _now_." Naraku demanded darkly as he raised the tentacles protruding from his back, arching them like snakes, waiting to strike their prey. Katsumi stood her ground, eyes burning with defiance like two smoldering embers of copper and emerald. Even if she was hopelessly outmatched, she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction seeing her tremble.

"Yeah, about that… I may have lied." Katsumi stated coolly. The look on Naraku's face was indescribably priceless.

"_What?"_ Naraku practically growled. This little bitch _dared_…!

"Oh, what? You think you're the only one who can lie?" Katsumi asked saucily, raising an eyebrow at him as she put her hands on her hips. "I said I'd 'talk', but I never said anything about giving answers. Do you seriously think I'm gonna tell you _anything_ after all the crap you've put us through, _huh!_?"

"Oh, you'll tell me. You will tell me _exactly _what I want to know. Even if it's the last you ever do." Naraku stated ominously as he closed in on her.

—∞—|—∞—

{Meanwhile, several miles away…}

Inuyasha stopped so suddenly, that Kagome nearly bumped into him.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" She asked. The others stopped too when they heard her question, and turned around to see Inuyasha was sniffing the air. He must have caught a scent.

"This smell… I'm sure of it… It's definitely Naraku's saimyōshō!" Inuyasha declared, glancing up in the direction of the approaching scent just in time to see the poisonous insects come into view. He smirked as he drew Tessaiga. "Ha! Couldn't ask for better luck!"

"Wait, Inuyasha!" Miroku said quickly, before he did anything rash. "Kagome-sama… do you sense any Shikon shards nearby?"

"No… not nearby." Kagome said, shaking her head.

"Then perhaps those saimyōshō are heading back to Naraku." Miroku suggested, glancing up as they flew right past them.

"If we follow them instead of killing them…" Sango said thoughtfully.

"Then, we'll discover Naraku's whereabouts!" Inuyasha finished. He sheathed his sword. Now they were really getting somewhere! He still owed Naraku some serious payback for what he had done to Kikyo…

However, it seemed like they had only just begun to follow the insects when both of them suddenly and inexplicably began to drop dead of their own accord.

"Hey, they're falling!" Shippo cried out with dismay.

"What_!_?" Inuyasha shouted incredulously as they all ran up to inspect the fallen insects. This had to be some kind of sick joke. "Why did they just…?" Inuyasha whipped his head around when he caught wind of another familiar and dangerous scent. A bright, blue orb of light whizzed past them and briefly hovered in place by the fallen insects before fazing out to reveal Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome said, surprised. "… Eh? Where's Katsumi-chan?" She asked curiously, wondering why their friend hadn't tagged along with him today. The daiyoukai didn't even look at her, and he didn't bother to glance down at the insects on the ground. He didn't need to look to know that both saimyōshō were now definitively deceased. He just stared straight at Inuyasha, fixing him with a steely gaze.

"Did you kill them… the saimyōshō?" Sesshoumaru demanded calmly. "You're so short-sighted. Now I've lost my lead to Naraku."

"Woah, lemme make one thing clear—these bugs dropped dead on their own! We never even touched them!"

"I'm becoming quite tired of your excuses." Sesshoumaru stated coldly, drawing Tokijin. He was already in a bad mood, and encountering Inuyasha had only mad it worse.

"Who'd make excuses to you! I'm telling the truth!" Inuyasha retorted hotly.

"That's right! Why would we lie?" Kagome added.

"Stay outta this, Kagome! He doesn't understand words!" Inuyasha barked, drawing Tessaiga so he'd be ready. He didn't want to give Sesshoumaru a reason to target her, too.

"Inuyasha… I'm not feeling very magnanimous today." Sesshoumaru cautioned him. "I won't go easy on you as I did before."

"Cut the crap!" Inuyasha snapped. Since when had this jerk ever gone easy on him? "Don't come cryin' to me when you lose!" Inuyasha growled as they both leapt into action, clashing their swords together.

"Oh, come on! Stop it, both of you!" Kagome shouted, trying to scold them.

"It's useless, Kagome." Shippo said, shaking his head.

"They're always at odds with each other." Miroku added.

"I'll say." Sango agreed as they watched the two brothers continue to exchange blows.

—∞—

"Ah! There's Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin told Ah-Un when she spotted the fighting brothers and the rest of the Inu-tachi. "Sesshoumaru-samaaa! Rin's so glad she found you!" Rin called out to him as Ah-Un began his descent to join his master.

"Wha—_!_?" Inuyasha said, dumbfounded at the sight of a little human girl riding on the back of his brother's dragon, like a boss. And that brief moment of distraction was all it took for Sesshoumaru to send the confused mutt flying.

_THUD._

Inuyasha hit the ground a few yards away, _hard_.

"Umfh!" Inuyasha grunted in pain, momentarily stunned from the impact.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, rushing over to check on him, followed closely behind by the others. He was a little roughed up, but other than that he seemed to be okay. Inuyasha shook his head, snapping out of his daze.

"Hey!" Inuyasha shouted indignantly at his older brother. "What d'yo—"

"What is it, Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked, completely ignoring his younger half-brother's existence. He could smell Rin's fear, and it was strange Katsumi wasn't with her.

"Sesshoumaru-sama… hic… Katsumi-nee…. Naraku came after Katsumi-nee!" Rin cried, unable to hold back her tears any longer now that she had finally managed to find him. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly in shock.

_No._

"_What!_?" Inu-tachi shouted.

"Why would Naraku—_!_?" Inuyasha began, but he and Sesshoumaru both froze when a hauntingly heart-wrenching scream filled with nothing but pure agony pierced their ears sensitive ears. Before the others even had a chance to ask, Sesshoumaru was gone, racing towards the scream like a man possessed.

"Wh-What just happened…?" Sango asked. Inuyasha glanced back at them, clearly unnerved and deeply disturbed by whatever he had just sensed. A bead of cold sweat rolled down the hanyou's face as he glanced back at his friends. Judging by the puzzled looks on their faces, aside from him and Sesshoumaru, no one else seemed to have heard that terrible scream at all. They had no idea how lucky they were. Inuyasha gulped, swallowing the lump that had started to form in his throat.

"I think… I think… Katsumi just… screamed…" Inuyasha said.


	3. Shocking Discovery

I do not own anything other than my OC.

* * *

unless specified, the POV will be third person omniscient

"Japanese Speech"

'thoughts'

**"English speech"**

—∞—|—∞— Scene and/or time transition

—∞— shift between areas of action or POV within the same scene/location

{Stage directions/ setting}

* * *

**Previously:**

_"Why would Naraku—!?" Inuyasha began, but he and Sesshoumaru both froze when a hauntingly heart-wrenching scream filled with nothing but pure agony pierced their ears sensitive ears. Before the others even had a chance to ask, Sesshoumaru was gone, racing towards the scream like a man possessed._

_"Wh-What just happened…?" Sango asked. Inuyasha glanced back at them, clearly unnerved and deeply disturbed by whatever he had just sensed. A bead of cold sweat rolled down the hanyou's face as he glanced back at his friends. Judging by the puzzled looks on their faces, aside from him and Sesshoumaru, no one else seemed to have heard that terrible scream at all. They had no idea how lucky they were. Inuyasha gulped, swallowing the lump that had started to form in his throat._

_"I think… I think… Katsumi just… screamed…" Inuyasha said._

* * *

_CRACK!_

"_Nn!_!" Katsumi had to bite her lip so she wouldn't scream when Naraku broke her arm. Once again, she struggled to break free or at least wiggle her way out the vice-like grip the sadistic hanyou's tentacles had her in. It was no use. The saimyōshō's poison had weakened her too much. She hadn't even been able to properly control her wings while trying to out fly him.

Katsumi was as helpless as a butterfly caught in a spider's web. The more she struggled, the more tentacles Naraku created to hold her down so she couldn't resist while he tortured and interrogated her.

"My, we are a stubborn one, aren't we?" Naraku whispered in her ear, smirking deviously. "I'm almost impressed, Katsumi. However, may patience is running thin. This is your last chance. Tell me. _What did you see when you crossed the border between worlds?"_

"Koff! I saw…" Katsumi said weakly, coughing up blood.

"Yes…?" Naraku urged her to continue.

"… I saw… your mamma, and she told me to tell you… that she's very disappointed in you." Katsumi told him as the corners of her mouth twitched up into the ghost of a smirk. Naraku was not amused. That was the last straw. Her defiance had been amusing at first, but it now it had lost its charm and become downright infuriating. If she refused to yield to him and refused to be broken, then she was of no use to him. If she was of no use to him, then there was no point in letting her live… but first… Naraku smirked. With a wicked gleam in his eye, he grabbed hold of the delicate wings on Katsumi's back. He didn't quite understand how they worked, since they seemed to be created using temporarily solidified Youki, yet for some reason, she had been unable to dissolve them again after he had dragged her from the sky and pinned her down with his tentacles.

"Wh-What're you doing…?" Katsumi asked, extremely uncomfortable with the way he was stroking her wings. "Hey, don't mess with the wings! They're dry-clean only!" The pain must be messing with her head more than she realized, because even _she_ was starting think she sounded silly.

"I have no idea what you mean by that, but I can understand the fuss. After all, they are quite beautiful to behold… mesmerizing, in fact." Naraku mused as he watched the gentle ebb and flow of the shimmering teal and green energy running, more like dancing, just below the smooth surface of her glistening wings. "In fact…" Naraku said, tightening his grip on them, making Katsumi wince. "I think I'll keep them and mount them on my wall_!_!" Naraku declared viciously, laughing cruelly, as Katsumi's eyes finally widened in horror.

"Sto—_UURGHAAAAAAAAAHHHAAAAAAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_!" Katsumi screamed her lungs out in pure agony as Naraku mercilessly tore her wings from her with one great, big pull, taking some of the skin on her back with them.

The pain was unbearable, it was as if a part of her very soul had ripped out. The pain was so immense, that it blocked out all her other senses until that white-hot intensity of immeasurable pain was the only thing that she could feel. Katsumi didn't even realize she was screaming. She couldn't feel the tears streaming down her face either. All she knew was that she was in complete and utter agony, and she _desperately _needed it to stop before it destroyed her.

"Ku-ku-ku…" Naraku laughed. His eyes sparkled with cruel amusement now that he had finally succeeded in forcing her to break down. His moment of triumph was short-lived, however. Naraku's laughter died in his throat when the shimmering wings in his hands suddenly exploded in an immense burst of raw energy that was so powerful, it actually managed to break through his barrier. "—_!_?" Naraku gasped, beyond shocked. 'What is this_!_? Since when did Katsumi have so much power_!_?' Naraku wondered as he tried to shield himself. It was no use—he had to make a run for it, or he would be blown away and possibly even destroyed! "Curse you, Katsumi…!"

—∞—|—∞—

"Whoa! Slow down, Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, holding on for dear life, as Inuyasha tore after Sesshoumaru at a speed that could almost rival Koga. "What do you mean you heard Katsumi scream? Did Naraku do something to her_!_?"

"I don't know! I don't know what's going on, but I wouldn't put anything past that bastard! All I know, is I heard Katsumi scream, and it was bad enough to make even a guy like Sesshoumaru concerned!" Inuyasha explained gruffly, furrowing his brow in confusion and frustration. He had no idea what was going on or why Naraku would suddenly target Katsumi, but he did know one thing. However this turned out… that agonizing scream was probably going to haunt him for the rest of his life.

"Eh? Katsumi-nee's screaming_!_?" Rin gasped, horrified. No wonder Sesshoumaru-sama had flown off so swiftly! "Let's go, Ah-Un!" She commanded, urging the dragon to fly faster, afraid for her Katsumi-nee.

Ah-Un snorted in agreement and increased his speed, pulling ahead of Kilala and Inuyasha.

"Ah! Not so fast, Rin! I'm going to fall off!" Jaken cried, tightening his grip on the dragon's tail in order to avoid plunging to his doom. This was like Mt. Hakurei all over again!

"Ah, wait!" Kagome called after them, but they were already too far away to hear, and too worried about Katsumi to stop. That two-headed dragon was a lot faster than it looked…

—∞—|—∞—

Sesshoumaru stared stoically at the sight before him as he surveyed the surroundings of the awesome scene of destruction. Though no longer visible to the naked eye, he could feel it. He could smell it. The air was still thick and humming with energy from the blast, the same wild, fresh, green energy he had come to associate with Katsumi. Within a perfect circle of a radius of about twenty-five yards, every tree, every bush, every blade of grass, had been bent backwards until they lay flat against the ground. And, there, at the center of it all, was where her unconscious body lay, unbearably still. Sesshoumaru took a step forward, and began cautiously approaching Katsumi, afraid of what he might find.

Sesshoumaru paused, surprised at himself.

… Afraid…? Him, the great Sesshoumaru? He never would have thought it possible… and yet, he couldn't deny it. He was afraid. Afraid of what he might find upon examining Katsumi's body more closely. Despite himself, Sesshoumaru had been growing steadily more protective and… _attached_… to his strange, golden-haired traveling companion. He wouldn't go so far as to call it 'love'… but in this moment, as all of his suppressed emotions and feelings for Katsumi came bubbling to the surface of his psyche, he could no longer deny how important her existence had become to him.

He wouldn't allow her to die, he refused. She was _his_.

Sesshoumaru took another step forward, marching steadily towards her once again. He knelt down beside her, and to his relief, he could still hear heart beating. It was weak, but at least she was alive and breathing. However, there seemed to be a large burn mark on her upper back, where the mark for her wings should have been. The red and angry wound had already begun to close and form fresh scar tissue, but something didn't seem right…

It was obvious that Naraku had been torturing her just from looking at the patterns of dried blood still clinging to her porcelain skin… but unlike the burn on her back, these wounds had already completely healed. If not for the blood, one would never know they had even happened. So, why was the burn on her back healing so slowly…? And why wasn't the mark of her wings returning?

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly in realization before narrowing again as they gained a slight red tinge in anger.

Suddenly, the cause for the explosion of energy he had sensed while rushing to Katsumi's side was all too clear—_Naraku must have done something to her wings_—and whatever it was, it had been enough to make even someone as strong and stubborn as Katsumi scream with such agony that it had made even _his_ blood run cold…

_Naraku was going to pay dearly for this._


	4. Unexpected Visitor

I do not own anything other than my OC.

* * *

unless specified, the POV will be third person omniscient

"Japanese Speech"

'thoughts'

**"English speech"**

—∞—|—∞— Scene and/or time transition

—∞— shift between areas of action or POV within the same scene/location

{Stage directions/ setting}

[[Telepathic communication]]

* * *

**Previously:**

_It was obvious that Naraku had been torturing her just from looking at the patterns of dried blood still clinging to her porcelain skin… but unlike the burn on her back, these wounds had already completely healed. If not for the blood, one would never know they had even happened. So, why was the burn on her back healing so slowly…? And why wasn't the mark of her wings returning?_

_Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly in realization before narrowing again as they gained a slight red tinge in anger._

_Suddenly, the cause for the explosion of energy he had sensed while rushing to Katsumi's side was all too clear—Naraku must have done something to her wings—and whatever it was, it had been enough to make even someone as strong and stubborn as Katsumi scream with such agony that it had made even his blood run cold…_

_Naraku was going to pay dearly for this._

* * *

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin cried, hitting the ground at a running pace the moment Ah-Un landed. "Katsumi-nee! What happened to Katsumi-nee_!_? Is she all right_!_?"

Sesshoumaru clenched his fists, taking a brief moment to collect himself before turning to face Rin. He could not let his rage blind him. He would deal with Naraku later. At the moment he had much more pressing matters to deal with.

"Katsumi-nee… Please, wake up…!" Rin sobbed as she dropped to her knees beside her adopted older sister. "Please don't… don't die… _Please, don't leave Rin…!"_

Sesshoumaru glanced down at his crying ward, unsure of what he should say or do to calm her down. Katsumi had always been the one who comforted and cheered Rin up whenever something was wrong.

Fortunately, Inu-tachi arrived on the scene, and for once, Sesshoumaru was not entirely loathed to see them.

"Oh… Oh, my God…!" Kagome gasped, stunned and horrified. It looked like a huge bomb had gone off, and at the epicenter of mass destruction, at Sesshoumaru's feet, her friend was lying in the dirt, completely still. "K-Katsumi… -chan…?" Kagome asked numbly, praying her eyes were deceiving her.

"Katsumi-san… is she…?" Miroku asked hesitantly, almost dreading the answer. Sango hung her head. She had to look away. She may not have known Katsumi that well, but watching Rin cry over Katsumi's prone body was heart breaking.

"No way… i-it's a lie, right…? K-Katsumi can't… _Katsumiiii!"_ Shippo cried, joining Rin's mournful wails with his own.

"Sesshoumaru… Katsumi—" Inuyasha began, but Sesshoumaru had had enough.

"Katsumi is _not _dead!" Sesshoumaru snapped, losing his patience. What was _wrong_ with Inuyasha and his friends? Were these fools really in that much of a hurry to kill Katsumi off?

"Eh?" Shippo and Rin asked in almost perfect unison, staring up the daiyoukai as if he held the answers to all of their hopes and prayers… Which, in a way, I suppose he did.

"She's not?" Kagome asked hopefully, too relieved at the moment to process the amazing fact that Sesshoumaru had just displayed an uncharacteristic show of emotion.

"It appears she has already healed herself, apart from the wound on her back. You will finish the job, Miko." Sesshoumaru commanded coolly. He knew from past experience, watching both Kagome and Katsumi treat others, that the medicine and healing techniques of their world were often far more advanced and effective than those of the current era. Right now, Kagome was Katsumi's best hope for curing whatever might be wrong with that troublesome wound.

"Why, you—_!_!" Inuyasha growled, only to be cut off when Miroku and Sango both clapped a hand over his big mouth to silence him. He was obviously ticked that Sesshoumaru would try to order Kagome around like that, and while the monk and demon-slayer didn't care much for his tone either, they didn't want Inuyasha starting an unnecessary fight. Right now they needed to help Katsumi. Their sibling rivalry could wait.

Kagome just stared at Sesshoumaru for a moment, slightly taken aback that he would ever even consider requesting help from a human like her, but she nodded in understanding. She didn't like being ordered around, but she knew that right now they both shared the same goal.

"Of course. I'll do whatever I can." She replied determinedly. She would have done so even if he hadn't asked. Katsumi was her friend. Kagome tightened her grip on the straps of her over-stuffed backpack and began to take a step closer towards Katsumi, when a ring of shimmering green energy suddenly formed a few feet away from Rin and Katsumi, pulsing with power. Even the air around it felt charged, and soon became filled with small, swirling orbs of light that danced and hovered about like living fireflies. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but notice that this strange new energy shared an uncanny resemblance to Katsumi's own youki, though it was much cleaner and purer than any youki he had ever felt before. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha drew their swords as they all prepared themselves for the worst, not knowing what to expect.

And then, _he_ appeared…

From within that glowing circle of vibrant and pure energy emerged a being whose power and beauty were enough to rival those of the great Sesshoumaru-sama's. His flawless porcelain skin was so fair, that it seemed white as snow, highlighting the delicate and graceful curves of his pointed ears. His fiery, long and luscious locks danced like flames in the wind. He was clothed in rich robes of emerald green, and upon his head rested a crown of spiny twigs and ruby berries, which secured the princely circlet upon his brow. He was unlike anything any of them had ever encountered before… He was _**Faerie**__._

With one decisive sweep of his eyes, the lordly creature took in every last detail of the scene before him. He furrowed his brow, frowning slightly, as he let his eyes linger a moment longer on the injured and unconscious Katsumi, before turning to address the motley assembly of humans and youkai of varying degrees that had gathered protectively around her body and the small human child still clinging to it.

[[Lower your weapons. I come in peace.]] A strong, majestic voice filled with dignified authority echoed in their minds.

The Inu-tachi glanced around with considerable confusion, wondering where the voice was coming from, but Sesshoumaru kept his steely gaze focused on the mysterious being before them, remembering Boukuseno's account of his meeting with a pure-blooded **faerie**.

[[I am Gean Cánach of the Daoine Maithe. Tell me… what has happened to my granddaughter's wings?]] The powerful faerie demanded calmly, not even bothering to hide the righteous fury smoldering in his hazel eyes.

* * *

Author's note:

'Daoine Maithe' means 'the good people' in Irish, and it's one of the more traditional ways to refer to fairies. In traditional folklore and legends, most fairies are considered to be neutral, as they are equally capable of doing both 'good' and 'bad'. It generally depends on how much they like you and the individual perspective of the person being affected by them or whoever is telling the story, since fairies are known to be temperamental and have their own set of customs and morals that supposedly differs from ours in certain respects. 'Good' and 'bad' are simply terms applied by humans in an attempt to categorize their otherworldly neighbors and their curious behavior. While fairies can actually be very beneficial to humans they take a liking to, their temperamental nature makes it easy for them to feel slighted if a human does something disagreeable to them, and they can make very terrifying enemies, so that is why they are referred to as 'the _good_ people' despite their mischievous nature. It is an attempt to stay on their good side and show respect.

Also, Fairies were said to have the ability to travel between dimensions and/or parallel planes, one of which is actually the fairy world, their main home. It was often referred to as the 'Otherworld' or 'Tír na nÓg' (The Land of Youth). Fairies could open portals to gain access to these different dimensions, and supposedly this increase in fairy energy left behind residual signs and effects such as 'fairy rings', which are typically marked by a ring of raised or discolored grass or a ring of mushrooms. It was said that if one waited and watched the ring for five days after it first appeared, you might be able to catch a glimpse of the fairy when or if it returned. Other stories warn against crossing or stepping into a fairy ring, as unsuspecting victims will sometimes find themselves being spirited away to the Otherworld and/or possibly being punished for trespassing.


	5. The Mysterious Case of Gean Canach

I do not own anything other than my OC.

* * *

Unless specified, the POV will be third person omniscient.

"Japanese Speech"

'thoughts'

**"English speech"**

—∞—|—∞— Scene and/or time transition

—∞— shift between areas of action or POV within the same scene/location

{Stage directions/ setting}

[[Telepathic communication]]

* * *

**Previously:**

_[[Cast aside your weapons. I come in peace.]] A strong, majestic voice filled with dignified authority echoed in their minds. _

_The Inu-tachi glanced around with considerable confusion, wondering where the voice was coming from, but Sesshoumaru kept his steely gaze focused on the mysterious being before them, remembering Boukuseno's account of his meeting with a pure-blooded __**faerie**__. _

_[[I am Gean Cánach of the Daoine Maithe. Tell me… what has happened to my granddaughter's wings?]] The powerful faerie demanded calmly, not even bothering to hide the righteous fury smoldering in his hazel eyes._

* * *

"… Granddaughter? The hell are you talkin' about_!_?" Inuyasha demanded back, furrowing his brow in confusion and annoyance. What the _hell _was this guy supposed to be, anyway…? He certainly didn't _smell_ like any kind of Youkai he had ever met before, and there was no freakin' way this guy was human!

Sesshoumaru and Gean Cánach simply stared at Inuyasha with relatively similar looks of aloof disdain, clearly unimpressed.

"Uh, Inuyasha… I believe Gean Cánach-sama was referring to Katsumi-san." Miroku said, sweat-dropping. As strange and mysterious as the powerful being before them might be, it wasn't that difficult a connection to make just from observing their shared eye color and the similarities between their energies and auras.

"What? But—than that mean's this guy is Katsumi's grandpa_!_?" Inuyasha exclaimed. How did he know about Katsumi when she wasn't even supposed to be born yet_!_? What was he doing here? What was with that freaky energy of his? And most importantly, how was he able to talk in all their heads at once like this—Goshinki's mind reading was one thing, but this was just insane! All of these thoughts kept swirling around inside the confused hanyou's mind until they became such a tangled mess that even he could no longer decipher the Gordian knot of questions wriggling around inside his brain.

Consider Inuyasha's mind blown.

[[Try not to hurt yourself, now.]] Gean told him, sweat-dropping. This strange dog-boy wasn't very bright, was he? He almost pitied Inuyasha… Almost. [[Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted… What happened to this child, Katsumi's, wings?]] He asked, addressing the others once again. Inuyasha glanced around, wondering why it was suddenly so quiet, but then he realized after seeing the thoughtful expressions on their others' faces, that Gean must have said something to everyone again… everyone except for him…

"Oi, don't just ignore me! Why am I the only one being left out_!_?" Inuyasha barked indignantly, vein mark throbbing on his forehead. Gean glanced at the hanyou, frowning slightly in annoyance.

[[Listen, you feckless fool. I chose to ignore your previous discourtesy, because I had assumed, based on your emotions and actions taken to protect my granddaughter, that you lot are friends and allies of hers… However, any further thoughtless displays of disrespect towards me _will not be tolerated_.]] He stated coldly, broadcasting this warning to the whole group, so he wouldn't have to repeat himself again. [[Now, to answer your question… 'dog-boy'… I did not ask you simply because I doubted you would have anything useful to contribute to this conversation.]] Gean added, deciding to invent a name for Inuyasha rather than trying to sift through that mess he called a mind for the insolent pup's proper name.

'_This guy…!_!' Inuyasha thought, clenching his teeth as he flattened his ears and let out a low growl of frustration, seriously ticked and annoyed. 'He's _definitely_ Katsumi's ojii-san! He even came up with that same annoying nickname_!_!'

Gean Cánach just smirked slyly at the fuming pup, amused by what he had just heard bubble to surface of his hot head. It would seem his granddaughter took after him in at least one respect.

—∞—|—∞—

{One long explanation of all known facts pertaining to the situation later…}

[[Let me make sure I have this correct… This Naraku villain suddenly developed an interest in my granddaughter for reasons unknown, so he used a clever ruse to separate Katsumi from anyone strong enough to interfere with whatever he had planned for her—which appears to have involved torture—and after hearing her blood-curdling scream, there was a powerful but rather brief explosion of raw energy… And then you finally reached her, only to find her lying here, scarred and unconscious…?]] Gean asked them, raising an eyebrow. Their story had a lot of holes in it. He might think they were all trying to pull a fast one over on him if he couldn't read all of their thoughts and emotions… Well, there was _one_ mind he couldn't quite get a read on… Gean Cánach glanced surreptitiously at the daiyoukai. He was a sharp one, that Sesshoumaru. Somehow, Sesshoumaru had managed to successfully create a shield within his mind to protect his most private thoughts from prying eyes, and yet, at the same time, the daiyoukai was still able to receive whatever telepathic messages Gean broadcasted to him... How curious…

"Yes, Gean Cánach-sama." Kagome replied somberly, nodding in confirmation. "Unfortunately, that's all we know… but maybe Katsumi will be able to tell us what happened when she wakes up."

[[That, I sincerely doubt.]] Gean replied frankly, deciding not to sugar coat it. The evidence spoke for itself. He had seen the aftermath of when a faerie's wings were forcibly removed like this before. Whether it was some built in natural defense mechanism or just the side-effect of the energy in the wings becoming too unstable once separated from their source... there could be no doubt that this explosion had indeed been the result of Katsumi's wings being ripped away from her. [[From what you have just told me, it appears this Naraku fecker somehow managed to rip out her wings. Having their wings ripped out is one of the worst things that can ever happen to a faerie. The pain and trauma caused by it is said to be so indescribably excruciating, that is beyond the comprehension of anyone who has never experienced it for themselves… the closest comparison would probably be for one to imagine being burned alive while having their spinal cord ripped out… but only after the intensity has been multiplied by ten.]] He explained, frowning, as the ember of fury rekindled in his vibrant hazel eyes. [[Most faeries cannot withstand the pain and die. It is generally only those who posses an incredibly strong will and sense of self that stand any chance of surviving such an intense trauma, and fewer still whom are ever lucky enough to make a full recovery… most are crippled for life, in some way or another…]] _An act of such cruelty was unforgivable...!_

"…" Sesshoumaru said, gritting his teeth, as he forced himself to maintain his calm, stoic façade despite the fact that his blood was boiling with rage. No wonder Katsumi had screamed like that…! _Yes. He was definitely going to kill Naraku, and it was going to be excruciating…_

Sesshoumaru glanced at Katsumi's grandfather when he realized the faerie was staring at him. Approval was shining in Gean Cánach's eyes along with righteous fury.

In his anger, Sesshoumaru had dropped his mental guard just long enough for Gean to catch that last sentiment. His fair lips curved into a dark smirk that matched his black mood and humor. It seemed he and the inu daiyoukai were in complete agreement with each other on the matter of Naraku's deserved fate.

"Poor Katsumi-nee…" Rin sniffed sadly, echoing the thoughts of the Inu-tachi. Even Inuyasha had winced sympathetically at Gean's brutal but accurate description of the pain their friend had endured at Naraku's hands.

Gean gave Rin a slight, sympathetic smile as he gently laid a soothing hand on her head in much the same manner Katsumi would have.

[[Fear not, little one. While this wound may indeed prove difficult for me to heal on my own, I know of a healer whose skills far surpass my own. If she agrees to heal my granddaughter, then there can be no doubt. Katsumi _will _recover, of that you can be certain.]] He said, winking at her. Rin couldn't help but smile at this hopeful news, and Gean reminded her of her Katsumi-nee so much in that moment, that it was almost as if Katsumi herself had said it.

"Did you hear that, Sesshoumaru-sama~_!_?" Rin asked excitedly, radiating innocence and hope. "Katsumi-nee's going to be alright~!"

"Really~_!_?" Kagome gasped even though Rin had not been talking to their group, unable to contain her own excitement and relief. Way to go, Grandpa!

Sesshoumaru, however, did not seem as quick to jump on their cheerful little bandwagon.

"And how do you plan to accomplish such a difficult task?" the daiyoukai asked coolly, certain there was something Gean Cánach still wasn't telling them. 'I am quite curious as to how you knew to come to this exact location in order to help a granddaughter whom you should not have known even existed?' Sesshoumaru thought, intentionally aiming his silent question at the faerie.

[[Hmm. Yes, well… unfortunately, the healer I have in mind rarely visits the human world, so I will have to take Katsumi to her… which means the two of us must pay a visit to the faerie world, Tír na nÓg.]] Gean explained to everyone, but then he secretly whispered a second message only Sesshoumaru could hear, [[A woman of your ilk paid me a rather unexpected visit in my homeland, claiming she could foresee the future and wished to tell me of mine… I believe you may know her as well. She called herself Tsukihime.]]

* * *

**Author's note:** In case any of you are wondering, the word 'feck' can have the following meanings:

_**Feck**_ (or _**fek**_) is a form of _effeck_, which is in turn the Scots form of effect. However, this Scots noun has additional significance:

1) Efficacy; force; value; return  
2) Amount; quantity (or a large amount/quantity)  
3) The greater or larger part (when used with a definite article)

From the first sense we derive _feckless_, meaning witless, weak or ineffective; worthless; irresponsible; indifferent; lazy. In Ireland, 'feck' can also be used as a much less offensive and more 'politically correct' form of f*ck.


	6. Katsumi in Faerie Land

Author's note: Haha, I feel kind of bad for picking on Inuyasha so much last time... So, I apologize to any die-hard Inuyasha fans who may have been offended, but he's actually one of my favorite characters, believe it or not... ^_^;

Anyway, I do not own anything other than my OC.

* * *

Unless specified, the POV will be third person omniscient.

"Japanese Speech"

'thoughts'

**"English speech"**

—∞—|—∞— Scene and/or time transition

—∞— shift between areas of action or POV within the same scene/location

{Stage directions/ setting}

[[Telepathic communication]]

* * *

**Previously:**

"_And how do you plan to accomplish such a difficult task?" the daiyoukai asked coolly, certain there was something Gean Cánach still hadn't told them. 'I am quite curious as to how you knew to come to this exact location in order to help a granddaughter whom you should not have known even existed?' Sesshoumaru thought, intentionally aiming his silent question at the faerie._

_[[Hmm. Yes, well… unfortunately, the healer I have in mind rarely visits the human world, so I will have to take Katsumi to her… which means the two of us must pay a visit to the faerie world, __Tír na nÓg.]] Gean explained to everyone, but then he secretly whispered a second message only Sesshoumaru could hear, [[A woman of your ilk paid me a rather unexpected visit in my homeland, claiming she could foresee the future and wished to tell me mine… I believe you may know her as well. Her said her name was Tsukihime.]]_

* * *

Hazel eyes slowly fluttered open, trying to adjust to suddenly being exposed to such bright light after a long sleep.

Katsumi lay in bed, blinking in confusion, wondering where the heck she was and how she came to be there in the first place. The bed she was lying in was definitely of the Western style… the kind she had grown up using back in the States, but it was so soft and had such great support that her body felt almost weightless, as if she were just floating there… If Katsumi didn't know any better, she might think she was lying on a cloud… But that was nothing compared to the rest of the room! Once again, if she didn't know any better, she might think she had been sucked into a _Lord of the Rings_ movie, because the architecture of the room reminded her so much of Rivendell… only with a dash of the early-modern Art Nouveau style thrown in for good measure… Yeah, it was pretty awesome, but it was still unnerving to wake up in a strange place without any familiar faces around to explain what might have happened. Unfortunately, the last thing she could remember was Naraku owning her ass, and then pain…

Katsumi grimaced, shuddering involuntarily at the memory. That was _definitely_ one experience she never _ever_ wanted to have to go through again!

[[Ah, good! You have regained consciousness. Master Cánach will be pleased to hear such wonderful news.]] An old, wise voice echoed in her mind, startling Katsumi.

"D-Did you just talk to me inside my mind, or am I just going insane…?" Katsumi asked warily as she turned to stare at the old faerie standing in the doorway, wondering how she had managed to sneak up on her like that. First Naraku and now an old woman… she hoped this wasn't going to become a regular thing for her… 'Plus, judging by her ears and graceful aging, I'd say that LOTRs theory might not be so farfetched, after all… She looks like an elf or faerie, and her energy feels really similar to mine now that I really concentrate on trying to sense it…' Katsumi thought. Seriously, what the heck was going on? Was she even still in Japan anymore?

Old faerie chuckled, amused by the youngster's confusion and the wild theories that kept popping into her head in an attempt to explain her current situation. What an imagination!

[[Calm yourself, child. You are just as sane as the rest of us. I simply chose to communicate with you in this way, because 'thoughts' are universal, and I doubt you would be able to understand my ancient native tongue. I am Úna, the healer who has been nursing you back to health during this past month while you were unconscious.]] The old faerie explained, smiling kindly at her.

"Oh, I see…" Katsumi said, smiling wryly as she let out a nervous little laugh. "Sorry for all the troub—_Wait a sec, do you mean I've been out for a whole month…!_?" she shouted incredulously when the rest of what the old fairy had just told her finished sinking in, clearly shocked, as she bolted upright in her bed so suddenly, that she actually managed to surprise Úna.

[[Oh, what a nice reaction! I am glad to see our little sleeping beauty has not lost her edge after such a long rest.]] Gean observed as he entered the room, smirking. His granddaughter certainly was a lively one, wasn't she? [[You have Lady Úna to thank for that. If not for her fine work repairing and reconnecting all of the nerves and energy veins and nodes in your back, I doubt you would even be able to nod your head, let alone sit up like that.]] Katsumi just continued to stare at the two faeries before her, stunned.

Apparently, the damage Naraku had inflicted on her when he ripped out her wings had been _way_ more serious than she had realized… Úna must be a boss at healing if she could do all that and save her from being paralyzed. Katsumi really owed these people, _big time_. Once she was over the initial shock of such an incredible revelation, Katsumi began to notice something a little peculiar about the beautiful and handsome male faerie who had just joined them… there was something about him that just felt incredibly… _familiar_…

"Uh, excuse me, sir… not to sound like a bad pick-up line or anything, but… have we met before?" Katsumi asked curiously. If they had, maybe that would also explain why he and Úna would go through so much trouble to help her… and where were Sesshoumaru, Rin, and the others? She would have expected to see at least one of them by now… They wouldn't just leave her behind, right…?

[[No, I don't believe we have.]] Gean said as he came over to stand beside her bed, pleased that Katsumi had been able to sense their kinship. [[I am your paternal grandfather, Gean Cánach. Though, that's just an alias, really.]] He explained, smiling proudly at her. Katsumi's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're my… grandpa…?" She asked, gazing up at the tall and powerful faerie before her. "Really…?" Gean Cánach was taken aback for a moment when tears began form in her eyes, and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. However, a quick scan of her mind and heart soon revealed the reason why. Katsumi had also learned of his future somehow, and knowing how he would die to protect her grandmother and unborn father greatly saddened her, but she was also immensely grateful and proud of him for making such a brave and selfless sacrifice. It was thanks to this man before her that she and her wonderful father had been able to be born into this world and have a chance to live.

Gean Cánach smiled softly as he returned Katsumi's loving embrace and placed a comforting hand on her head. She really was a good child… tough as nails, yet still able to possess such a gentle and caring heart. He could not have asked for a better granddaughter.

—∞—|—∞—

{Meanwhile, back in Japan…}

Inuyasha had been in an irritable mood ever since the day Gean Cánach took the comatose Katsumi away with him to be healed in Tír na nÓg by another faerie… but that wasn't really what bothered him. I mean, sure he was worried about Katsumi, but she was in good hands, right? Her ojii-san might be annoying, but he knew what he was talking about and could help Katsumi a lot more than any of them could, unfortunately...

No, what had really bothered Inuyasha the most about that whole situation was the way _Sesshoumaru_ had acted. Despite seeming to be the least reluctant to leave Katsumi in the care of a stranger, let alone be taken to place where none of them would be able to reach her, that cold bastard certainly hadn't wasted any time making himself scarce! The second Gean had vanished through that strange portal with Katsumi's body Sesshoumaru, Jaken, and that little human girl had left the Inu-tachi in their dust. What the hell was his problem_!_? Didn't he care at all about Katsumi_!_? Would it have killed him to wait just a moment longer to say goodbye, not that Katsumi really would have known the difference in her current condition… but still!

Although, in hindsight, Inuyasha could _maybe_ understand why Sesshoumaru hadn't wanted to stick around... Despite combing the area for any clues that might give them some kind of lead on that bastard, Naraku… there was _nothing_. Aside from some faint traces of Naraku's scent from when he had moved his tentacles outside of his barrier to restrain Katsumi, there was barely anything left to indicate Naraku had even been there at all, much less anything that could give them a hint about which direction he had used to come and go… It was enough to frustrate and piss anyone off_!_!

Inuyasha was pulled out of his inner fuming session when part of Miroku's conversation with the local villagers caught his attention.

"So, similar things have happened in other places?" Miroku asked.

"Yes, there's lots of rumors going around." The village elder explained. "They say that Buddhist monks and Shinto priests are being killed everywhere…"

"Who in the world could…" Miroku wondered.

"Well, that's…" The elder said a little hesitantly, not sure they would believe him. "They say it's the work of a woman and a baby."

"!" Inuyasha, Sango, and Kagome said, gasping in realization.

'A baby, he says… _that_ one…_!_?' Kagome thought, alarmed. A bead of nervous sweat rolled down the side of her face as an image of Naraku's creepy white infant, who had tried to take control of her heart before, appeared in her mind.

"And that woman would be Kagura, huh?" Inuyasha said, thinking along the same lines as Kagome.

Sounds like they might have finally managed to find a new lead on Naraku, after all…


	7. Eye of the Tiger

I do not own anything other than my OC.

* * *

Unless specified, the POV will be third person omniscient.

"Japanese Speech"

'thoughts'

**"English speech"**

—∞—|—∞— Scene and/or time transition

—∞— shift between areas of action or POV within the same scene/location

{Stage directions/ setting}

[[Telepathic communication]]

* * *

**Previously:**

"_Who in the world could…" Miroku wondered._

"_Well, that's…" The elder said a little hesitantly, not sure they would believe him. "They say it's the work of a woman and a baby."_

"_!" Inuyasha, Sango, and Kagome said, gasping in realization._

'_A baby, he says… that one…!?' Kagome thought, alarmed. A bead of nervous sweat rolled down the side of her face as an image of Naraku's creepy white infant, who had tried to take control of her heart before, appeared in her mind._

"_And that woman would be Kagura, huh?" Inuyasha said, thinking along the same lines as Kagome. _

_Sounds like they might have finally managed to find a new lead on Naraku, after all…_

* * *

{That night, at a certain temple…}

_SCCHHHH…_

The tree leaves shivered, rustling as an ominous wind swept through the darkened temple.

"Honored priest… in time, will this place be attacked as well?" a young man, one of the esteemed priest's acolytes, asked warily as a chill traveled up his spine. He and another fellow acolyte were supposed to be watching while the priest prayed this evening, should he have need of any assistance, in light of the recent attacks on other temples.

"Not 'in time'…" The elder priest said calmly, pausing in his prayers to address the young follower's concerns. "Already… I can feel evil energy closing in, above this temple."

"Eh!" The two acolytes exclaimed in alarm, breaking out into a nervous sweat, as they glanced up nervously at the ceiling, trying to sense the danger for themselves.

"You should hide." The priest advised them, but it was too late. The evil was already upon them.

"Hmm… it seems you can do a bit more than those we've met before you." It mused, sending a wave of kamaitachi into the temple.

_SLASH!_

"U… _Uwah!"_ The two boys yelled, frozen in fear, as the priest ran in front of them, whipping out his prayer beads.

SHNKT!

"_So, you've come… youkai!"_ He shouted, pulling the beads tautly in front of him, raising a protective barrier to block the deadly attack.

_CRRRASH!_

"How impertinent, putting up a barrier just like that." Kagura remarked as she stepped into view, holding Naraku's white infant in one arm and her fan in the other. She slid her fan open a little wider. It seemed this priest had some skill.

"Hmph… So, you youkai are the woman and baby I've been hearing about…" The priest said, keeping his guard up as he gauged his opponents. It was obvious Kagura was a force to be reckoned with, but that baby… 'This infant… compared to the woman… he is actually many times worse!' He realized, tensing, as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. _This was bad…_

"Heh-heh-heh… Maybe this old monk will know something about the borderline between this world and the next…" The white infant said deviously, snickering. He seemed to be a lot better than the others they had already tried.

"_!"_ The old priest gasped in surprise and alarm. What were they—_!_?

"_I… It spoke…!_!" The acolytes shouted with disbelief, also alarmed.

Monk… Will you be able to handle the next one?" Kagura asked, smirking ever so slightly, as she raised her fan to attack again. _"Ryuuja no Mai!"_ She shouted, sending several swirling blades of wind crashing towards them.

_KSHNKT! KSHNKT!_

"_Ugh!"_ The old priest grunted, gritting his teeth, as he strained to repel her attack with another barrier. He was getting too old for this crap!

—SNAP—!

The priest's eyes widened with a sick realization as he felt the tension in his string of prayer beads suddenly break, and he watched as the dark-red beads began to scatter as they flew up into the air. The old man cried out in pain and shock as the deadly wind vortexes pierced his body, mortally wounding him. His body hit the ground with a sickening thud. Though everything appeared to be happening in slow motion to the doomed priest, in reality Kagura's deadly attack had only taken seconds. The two acolytes were stunned.

'_O… Our priest…!_' They thought, too shocked to move.

"Uhn…" The priest groaned weakly as Kagura took a step forward, approaching him with the terrible infant in her arms. He was fading fast, barely able to move, but he managed lift his hand to his chest, sliding it into his kimono. The white infant smirked. It was useless.

"I'm going to take a peek into your soul…" He told the half-dead priest as Kagura laid him on top of the helpless old man's chest.

_SH…_

"!" The creepy infant gasped, frowning, as he realized too late that the old priest wasn't as helpless as he had seemed.

… _SHHRRRED!_

"_Wha…!"_ Kagura shouted in surprise, taken aback when a bright ray of holy energy suddenly shot out of the dying priest's chest, slicing the infant cleanly in half. "…" Kagura said as she watched both halves of its corpse fall lifelessly onto the floor, stunned. Did… that really just happen…?

"I… did… it…!" The old priest wheezed triumphantly, finally allowing his grip to loosen on the vajra he had kept hidden in his kimono, as he breathed his last.

'_Ho… Honored priest!'_ The two acolytes cried in their minds, trembling in fear, as they mourned the death of their honored master and teacher. Fortunately for them, Kagura had more important things to worry about than how to off two scrawny fools that had allowed themselves to be paralyzed with fear.

'This… is really bad, isn't it?' Kagura thought, sweat-dropping, as she glanced back at the infant's split corpse. _Naraku was gonna be so pissed…!_

—∞—|—∞—

{Meanwhile, back in _Tír na nÓg…}_

[[Now, the first thing I need to teach you, before you can leave this room, is how to control your own thoughts and make proper use of telepathy.]] Gean stated once Katsumi had calmed down enough to listen to him after their little emotional episode. [[Right now Úna and I can hear virtually every thought that passes through your mind without even trying to… to be honest, you're such a fast thinker, it's giving me a bit a bit of a headache…]] He added, smiling wryly as he sweat-dropped. He was glad to see his granddaughter's pretty little head wasn't just for show, but when someone like her, who had such a terrifyingly complex, fast, and not to mention _random_ thought process, was in 'full broadcast' mode, just trying to keep up with her was giving the two older faeries whiplash…! In addition, if she left the room in this condition, it would be virtually impossible for her to be able to keep a secret or have any sort of privacy from the other faeries.

"Oh, sorry…" Katsumi apologized a bit sheepishly, blushing as she rubbed the back of her neck and laughed a little nervously. She hoped they didn't catch a glimpse of anything_ too_ embarrassing…

[[It's all right. For the time being, we just ask that you be patient and remain in this room until we can give you permission to do otherwise. You see, this private healing room was especially designed to block the thoughts of its inhabitants from being heard by those on the outside, and vice-versa, in order to create a more relaxing healing environment since keeping your guard up while trying to recuperate from severe wounds can be tiresome.]] He explained patiently, smiling a little wryly in amusement at how pink his granddaughter's face had become, despite having done her best trying to suppress her flustered blushing. He knew she was curious about how they could make a room capable of being a telepathic 'cone of silence', but he didn't really feel like wasting time on a detailed explanation of that, so… [[But enough of that. Listen carefully, Katsumi, for what I am about to teach you is an ancient technique that has been passed down amongst our people for generations. This knowledge is sacred to us, and, therefore, must never be revealed to outsiders who may seek to abuse and misuse it. Sharing the secret wisdom of our ancestors with those who are not of faerie blood is considered _taboo_. You must take the knowledge I am about to impart unto you to your grave… _Do you understand, Katsumi_…?]] Gean said gravely, wearing the most solemn expression, as he fixed his young granddaughter with heavy, piercing glare. He needed her to understand just how severe this matter was to him and the others.

As direct descendants of one of the very first primordial beings to emerge from the cosmic energies that formed this universe and the many worlds planes existing within and around it, faeries had the unique distinction of being, at once, both the most powerful and the most fragile of all the races who walked the face of the earth. Because of their close link to the natural world and all of the pure, cosmic energy that flowed through it, they all had (on some level) the unique ability to manipulate the very fabric of space and time, which enabled powerful faeries, like Gean Cánach, to open and close a few wormholes here and there in order to travel between different dimensions and various planes of existence. However, to balance out these almost god-like powers, their physical forms actually have a rather incredible Achilles' heel. For faeries, everything within their bodies was connected. Their lives and spirits, along with all of their powers, were linked to one crucial lynchpin… If the wrong sort of person were to learn the secret behind how to control a faerie's lynchpin, then…

_The entire race of Faerie could become endangered._

Katsumi furrowed her brow and frowned slightly while she concentrated on carefully considering what her grandfather had just told her. She didn't need to be a telepathic genius to understand the gravity of the situation. It was obvious how important this was to him, and this was not a decision that should be made lightly. For a brief moment, it occurred to her that maybe it would be better if she didn't learn whatever this secret was and just quickly returned back to Japan. She knew Rin, at least, must be worried about her if her wounds had been that serious… But then it passed.

She couldn't go back, not yet. Katsumi didn't want to return home empty-handed after suffering such a humiliating defeat at the hands of that bastard, Naraku, of all people…! Now that she was here, with a group of real faeries, she finally had a chance to learn more about this part of her and to, hopefully, get stronger as well. As much as she hated to admit it, her recent crushing defeat had just proved how weak she really was—_It was so frustrating!_

'_I… want to win!_!' Katsumi thought, clenching her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white and her claws began to pierce the flesh of her palms, drawing blood. She had never been so afraid or humiliated in all her life before, and this mortified Katsumi. She couldn't just 'forgive and forget' the whole thing ever happened, not this time—This time, Katsumi wasn't going to be satisfied until she smacked that smug smirk off of that sick bastard's face_!_! Katsumi took a deep breath and slowly exhaled to calm herself before turning to face her grandfather again. She needed to stay focus on what she could do now, not sulk over spilled milk. "I understand." Katsumi finally replied solemnly, staring back at Gean Cánach, straight in the eye. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Her gorgeous hazel eyes were smoldering fiercely with resolve and determination.

[[Excellent. That's an excellent look you have in your eyes, Katsumi. You'll be needing that sort of determination before we're through! After all, it's no simple feat… learning your _True Name_…]]


	8. Near and Far

I do not own anything other than my OC.

* * *

Unless specified, the POV will be third person omniscient.

"Japanese Speech"

'thoughts'

**"English speech"**

—∞—|—∞— Scene and/or time transition

—∞— shift between areas of action or POV within the same scene/location

{Stage directions/ setting}

[[Telepathic communication]]

* * *

**Previously:**

"_I understand." Katsumi finally replied solemnly, staring back at Gean Cánach, straight in the eye. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Her gorgeous hazel eyes were smoldering fiercely with resolve and determination._

_[[Excellent. That's an excellent look you have in your eyes, Katsumi. You'll be needing that sort of determination before we're through. After all, it's no simple feat… learning your True Name…!]]_

* * *

"My… 'True Name'…?" Katsumi asked, blinking. What was that supposed to mean? Didn't she already have a perfectly good name?

[[Yes, your True Name.]] Gean replied, nodding sagely. [[I mentioned it before, didn't I… that 'Gean Cánach' is only an alias? The reason I and other fairies go through the trouble of inventing extra names for ourselves is because each faerie's True Name holds a special, sacred power. Our very lives are linked to this name, and should another learn its true form, they could use it to enslave or even kill the faerie it belongs to… Our True Names are the lynchpin that connect us to the world around us and allow us to use our faerie powers. True Names are double-edged swords—they are both our greatest strength and our greatest weakness.]]

"I see… so, it's like a secret password we have to know in order to be able to gain access to our own, personal powers as well as to the 'worldwide web' of energy…?" Katsumi mused thoughtfully, trying to come up with a more modern analogy to help herself understand such an incredible and abstract concept more easily.

[[… Sure, let's go with that.]] Gean said, sweat dropping. Although he could somewhat see what she was trying to say from the flashes of images mixed in with her thoughts, he still wasn't quite sure what purpose this… 'computer' served… Well, no matter. As long as she got the point. [[Anyway, most faeries usually learn their True Name through a sacred dream once they have matured mentally enough to understand what it means, about the same time they begin to learn how to speak. The names given to us at birth by our parents are merely considered placeholders in our True Names' stead.]]

"But… I've never had a dream like that…" Katsumi said. She was pretty sure she'd remember something as trippy as dreaming about something as magical as a True Name.

[[No, to be honest, I'd be more surprised if you had. You are something of an exception to the rules, Katsumi, having been born of mixed blood.]] Gean explained, smiling wryly, almost apologetically. [[The less faerie blood one possesses, the harder it is to learn your True Name. It won't reveal itself to you so easily. But don't worry, there is a method through which even you will be allowed to enter into a sacred dream and discover your own True Name… Although, it is not without risks… Should you fail, Katsumi, it is possible that you may never be able to return from the dream world, which means your spirit would be trapped there, and your physical body would remain in a comatose state until it gradually wasted away. It's possible you may even just outright die spiritually and physically. No one knows for sure exactly what dangers you will encounter upon entering the dream world, since it varies with each individual, but it is generally agreed that the older one is, the more difficult and dangerous this method tends to become. The only other to have successfully completed and returned from their journey into the dream world after using this method as an adult was my great-great-great-great grandfather.]] He explained solemnly, obviously concerned for her safety. While this latest information certainly wasn't very encouraging, to say the least… Katsumi knew there was no turning back. Despite the danger, she didn't want to spend the rest of her life regretting a decision to give up without even trying. If she really wanted to get stronger, then she had to keep moving forward!

"I understand. Thank you for worrying about me, Grandfather… but this is something I _have_ to do." Katsumi said, raising her head as she smiled up determinedly at him, clenching her fists. She wasn't going to back down. She was going to see this through to the end, and quickly return to Rin and Sesshoumaru and all of her other friends back in Japan, stronger than ever before…!

—∞—|—∞—

{Back in Japan…}

Cold, amber eyes stared up at the heavens above, watching the stars in the night sky. Everything was calm, peaceful… still. Jaken and Rin had both fallen asleep already, tired from a day's worth of traveling. It had been a long time since Sesshoumaru had been able to experience such an extended period of silence… and, yet, he found he couldn't enjoy this long overdue break at all. Not while Katsumi was…

A breeze blew past the daiyoukai as the wind changed directions, carrying a familiar scent. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes slightly. It was _her_.

"My, my. Such a scary expression! You're in a rather foul mood, I see… Are you sulking because Katsumi isn't around, Sesshoumaru?" Tsukihime asked as she descended from the sky, landing what she considered to be a safe distance away from him. Sesshoumaru furrowed his eyebrows slightly in irritation. This woman… _had she no shame…?_

"What of it?" Sesshoumaru demanded coldly, fixing her with a defiant glare, daring her to make another careless comment on the matter. "Do you, a mother who abandoned her own child to torture and humiliation, have any right to criticize me?"

A bead of cold sweat rolled down the back of Tsukihime's neck as she resisted the urge to take a step back and stood her ground. This was bad… judging by the wave of murderous intent radiating from Sesshoumaru, she could tell this brat was serious.

"Hmph. Is that so? Perhaps you have a point, seeing as how I could have interfered with Naraku's plan, had chosen to do so…" Tsukihime admitted rather sardonically. After all, she had foreseen these events with plenty enough time to spare to travel all the way to Ireland and track down Gean Cánach in order to request his assistance with healing Katsumi for after Naraku had finished with her. "But I did what was necessary. It was for Katsumi's own good, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru grit his teeth, infuriated that she had the gall to claim suffering so excruciatingly could have possibly been in Katsumi's best interest. He knew part of his anger was directed towards himself for having allowed himself to fall for Naraku's trick and leaving her own like that, but… _Tsukihime had gone too far…_

"Down, boy. Let me finish explaining before you decide to rip me to shreds." Tsukihime said, chagrined. His eyes had started to gain a red tinge, so she knew she was treading on dangerous ground. "While I'm glad to see you so concerned for my daughter, at the same time your lack of faith in her ability to recover from this is somewhat insulting!" She huffed rather indignantly.

"She had her wings ripped out." Sesshoumaru reminded her. "If you had heard her scream—"

"I _did_ hear her scream." Tsukihime stated coldly, fixing the younger inu-youkai with a piercing glare. "In my vision I had to watch firsthand how much my daughter suffered at that hands of that bastard hanyou! I know what she's had to endure far better than _you_, who only saw the aftermath!" She growled, beginning to lose her patience with him. "But you underestimate Katsumi, Sesshoumaru. That girl may seem like a delicate glass sword compared to full youkai like ourselves, but she has an inner strength and will to survive that simply can't be matched. Don't be deceived. In reality, the reason that 'glass sword' shines so brightly is because it's made of an indestructible adamant. No matter how many times her body may break, that girl's spirit never will!"

"…" Sesshoumaru said as he stared at her, and the red tinge left his eyes, showing that he had calmed down slightly. Though he was loathe to admit it, he had to admit Tsukihime was right on this count. He had seen for himself how strong-willed and spirited Katsumi for himself during their time together. It was one of the things he come to admire about her, though he had only recently realized just how deep his attachment to her had become after the shock he had received upon seeing her lying there, nearly comatose…

"Rest assured, Sesshoumaru. What doesn't kill her only makes her stronger. It is times like this, when she had experienced the bitter taste of defeat, that my daughter becomes truly formidable. In order to properly motivate her to become stronger, a little suffering was necessary… And, as a result of this unfortunate event, you too have come to an important realization, have you not?" Tsukihime continued, smirking knowingly at him. "But in all seriousness, in a way it's rather terrifying how much my daughter's potential for growth will suddenly spike and begin increase exponentially at such an incredible rate. Katsumi _will_ return, and when she does, she will be far stronger than she was when she left us."


	9. The White Child

I do not own anything other than my OC.

* * *

Unless specified, the POV will be third person omniscient.

"Japanese Speech"

'thoughts'

**"English speech"**

—∞—|—∞— Scene and/or time transition

—∞— shift between areas of action or POV within the same scene/location

{Stage directions/ setting}

[[Telepathic communication]]

* * *

**Previously:**

"_Rest assured, Sesshoumaru. What doesn't kill her only makes her stronger. It is times like this, when she had experienced the bitter taste of defeat, that my daughter becomes truly formidable. In order to properly motivate her to become stronger, a little suffering was necessary… And, as a result of this unfortunate event, you too have come to an important realization, have you not?" Tsukihime continued, smirking knowingly at him. "But in all seriousness, in a way it's rather terrifying how much my daughter's potential for growth will suddenly spike and begin increase exponentially at such an incredible rate. Katsumi will return, and when she does, she will be far stronger than she was when she left us."_

* * *

"It's been three days, huh…?" Kagura said aloud, feeling incredibly bored. After Naraku's white infant accidentally got split in half by that old monk, Kanna had showed up to take one of halves away somewhere safe. For some reason, Kanna had then given her instructions to take care of the remaining half of it… Kagura glanced back at her half of the infant's corpse. It was still lying on the ground further inside the cave, just where she had left it. "… So, what should I do with this part? It's not like it's breathing…"

"Nngh…" A small sound came from the bundled up remains as it started to roll around, catching Kagura a bit off guard.

"Hey. Did you come back to life?" She asked it as she walked over to kneel down beside it and take a closer look at the squirming bundle. She should have known something freaky like this would happen, seeing as this thing was _Naraku's_ infant, after all…

_TH-THUMP…_

"…" Kagura said, narrowing her eyes slightly, when she heard the faint beat of its heart restarting. 'He's frickin' alive…' She thought, frowning a little with disappointment. She had been half hoping that if this infant died, then maybe it would weaken Naraku somehow… Although, come to think of it she hadn't seen nor heard from him for a few days since even before the infant had been split… She had actually been half expecting him to show up in person to scold her for letting his precious infant be damaged like that. Could it be something really had happened to him? She hoped so. Kagura continued to watch as the infant's white hair grew longer, until it was peaking out of the cloth she had wrapped it in.

_TH-THUMP…_

Its heartbeat was getting stronger, steadier...

"!" Kagura gasped in surprise when a larger, more mature hand and arm suddenly rose up into the air from within the bundled cloth. _'This guy…'_

_TH-THUMP…_

—∞—|—∞—

{Meanwhile…}

The Inu-tachi were in hot pursuit of a rampaging horse youkai that had been set free when its seal broke after the death of the monk responsible for splitting Naraku's infant in half.

"The Youba's scent is…_!_?" Miroku asked, a bit taken aback by what Inuyasha had just said. Since when had their luck ever been _this_ good…?

"Yeah. It's nearby, all right!" Inuyasha confirmed, furrowing his brow slightly. They had managed to catch up to its trail of destruction a lot fast than they had anticipated.

"A village_!_?" Kagome gasped as they came over the hill and saw the all of the destruction awaiting them below. You could barely even tell what used to be what anymore amongst the trampled rice paddies and the scattered debris from ruined buildings. "!" Inuyasha gasped too once they got closer. There were fresh corpses everywhere… This village had been reduced to complete wasteland in minutes.

"The houses and the villagers… have all been trampled down…" Kagome said, shocked. A bead of cold sweat slid down her face. How horrible…

"Th… This is…" Shippo said, gulping nervously, as gripped Inuyasha's hakama and stared at the giant hoof print embedded in the soil before them.

"A hoof print, huh…?" Inuyasha said thoughtfully. As he thought, it was that damned horse did all of this…

"It's huge." Sango remarked, a little surprised. They hadn't actually seen the youba up close, and had mostly been following its scent from the shrine it escaped from... If this was the size of it's hoof, then she'd hate to see how monstrous the rest of it was in proportion.

"It can't be that far away from here! Let's follow it!" Miroku said urgently. There wasn't a moment to lose—they needed to find this thing before it could lay waste to yet another village!

—∞—|—∞—

WOOSH~

'Geez, that brat…' Kagura grumbled mentally as she flew through the sky on one of her feathers, on her way back to the cave. ''Go get me some new clothes', huh? The moment he awakens, he starts bossing me around…' He was practically Naraku's albino mini-me…

_WHOOM!_ FWOOOOOSH!

"_!_?" Kagura gasped, startled when an absurdly huge and powerful demonic horse with a mane of flames pulled up beside her. She furrowed her brow. 'What the hell, this thing… is it following me_!_?' She wondered, trying to figure out what the youba was playing at.

—∞—|—∞—

"Hm_!_?" Inuyasha exclaimed, twitching his sensitive nose, when he caught a new scent on the wind.

"Inuyasha…?" Kagome asked, wondering why he had suddenly tensed up.

"It's Kagura's scent!" Inuyasha shouted.

"!" Miroku exclaimed when he too sensed a change in the air. "Everyone, be careful! Evil energy is… _An evil energy is closing in!"_

_FWASH—!_

Miroku barley had any time to finish his warning before bright beams of light pierced through the dark clouds above them.

"!" The Inu-tachi gasped as the fiery youba descended through the parting clouds shot a jet of intense flames from its at mouth, trying to roast them where they stood.

_FWOOOSH!_

"_Ah!"_ Kagome gasped in alarm, clinging tightly to Inuyasha, as he and the others quickly dodged the deadly attack, just in the nick of time.

"Is that Entei_!_?" Miroku asked, almost sounding a bit incredulous, after seeing the sheer size and power of the attacking youba.

Entei simply snorted and stomped his hooves challengingly while he whinnied at them from his perch in the sky above.

"Keh! For a horse you sure are brave, coming at me like that!" Inuyasha shouted back at it, chagrined. _"Kaze no Kizu!_!" Inuyasha roared as he swung Tessaiga, sending his signature mighty attack at Entei. The youba stood his ground, not even trying to dodge the powerful attack that was crashing towards him.

_SLASH! KRRSSSHKT—_CRASSHH_!_!

"Wha…!" Shippo gasped when the Kaze no Kizu simply rolled off the spherical barrier that had suddenly materialized around the youba to protect it, dealing zero damage.

"A kekkai_!_?" Miroku exclaimed, surprised. How could this youba have a barrier that was so disturbingly similar to Naraku's…?

"Heh heh heh… That's some greeting, Inuyasha…" A young, unfamiliar voice commented, laughing at them.

"…" Inuyasha said, a little taken aback. Whoever that voice belonged to smelled like Kagura, but it most definitely wasn't her, and wasn't Naraku either… Could it be yet _another_ new incarnation of Naraku…?

"Who is… riding that horse…?" Kagome asked nervously as an unsettling feeling of familiarity began to creep over her. She couldn't remember having ever heard that voice before, but this person's presence was…

"Heh heh heh…" The small, white-haired rider seated on Entei's back laughed again, sounding like a child enjoying a game or an amusing toy. "This monster horse here… seems to have chosen me to ride it. A return favor for breaking the seal, I guess." The young boy smirked wickedly as he looked down on them.

"Some brat…?" Inuyasha said, furrowing his brow slightly in confusion.

'That child…!' Kagome thought, feeling increasingly uneasy as she looked up into those cold, pale violet eyes. There was something about them that disturbed her very heart…

"_So, you were the one who broke the seal on that monster horse, you bastard!_?" Inuyasha shouted dubiously.

"The ones who broke the seal were Kagura and the infant." Miroku reminded him.

"But the infant was destroyed when the monk's spiritual power cut it in half…" Sango added. If that was really the case, then who was this child?

"Hmph… A mere monk's spiritual power could never destroy me." The white child replied rather contemptuously, obviously insulted by what they had just said.

"Does that mean… _you're that bastard baby!_?" Inuyasha demanded.

"I am Hakudōshi… the discarded white child of Naraku." The pale child explained coolly.

"Hakudōshi_!_?" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"So you're Naraku's…!" Kagome said thoughtfully, now able to fully understand why this kid was creeping her out to such an extreme. He really was just like that unpleasant infant that had tried to molest her heart before!

"Hakudōshi! The reason you have been going around killing minks and priests… I heard it was to find out about the border between this world and the next! What is to be found there_!_?" Miroku shouted, furrowing his brow. Hakudōshi smirked.

"Heh heh heh… would you like to try searching for it, too? The Shikon fragment?" He asked cunningly.

"_A Shikon shard, you say…!_?" Inuyasha shouted, surprised.

"Hey, is this really okay?" Kagura asked as she flew up, joining Hakudōshi. "Saying stuff like that…"

"Is it something we need to hide? Either way, the more the merrier!" Hakudōshi replied rather carelessly before turning back to address Inuyasha and the others again. "Be grateful that I gave you that clue!" He shouted louder for them to hear.

"He seems to be telling the truth about the Shikon fragment." Miroku observed.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed. "I don't give a damn about the next world or whatever, but if there's really a shard there… _Then you should go there and check it out for yourself!_!" He roared furiously, swinging Tessaiga.

_SLASH—FWOOOSH!_

"!" The other exclaimed, surprised, when Hakudōshi, Entei, and Kagura dodged the attack and zoomed away at an incredible speed.

"_Wait, you bastard!_!" Inuyasha yelled, but it was useless to try pursuing them any further. They had all disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"They got away, huh?" Miroku said, frowning. It was a shame that Tessaiga couldn't seem to break through Hakudōshi's barrier, either.

"_Damn!"_ Inuyasha cursed, gritting his teeth. He wasn't going to let them get away with this! They still hadn't paid Naraku back for what he had done to Katsumi…!

—∞—|—∞—

"So, what are we going to do now?" Kagura asked as they flew off into the night. "Are we going to keep killing priests, or what?"

"No, that's over. Humans just can't provide it." Hakudōshi told her. 'The scenery I saw in his heart just before he cut me in half…' He thought, remembering his encounter with that last monk. 'Could that have been the borderline between this world and the next…? To me, it looked like a world shrouded in white fog…' Was this really what Naraku had been looking for? If that woman, Katsumi, had just cooperated and given them the information the seek… Then _he_ wouldn't have had to bother with such a tedious task. Not only had she severely injured Naraku, but now she seemed to have somehow managed to drop off the face the of the earth, since even Naraku couldn't find her current location… 'Still… Now that I've gotten involved… I want to gain more knowledge about that scenery.' Hakudōshi decided, narrowing his eyes slightly. '… And in that case, I…'


	10. The Headless Youkai

**Author's note:** I had originally planned to go through Katsumi's whole little True Name 'vision quest' she's got going on, but since I'm having trouble working out some of the kinks, for now I think we should just move on and get to the good and action-y parts, and I'll just post the details for her little side-venture as a short companion story later… For now, I just want to get Sesshoumaru and Katsumi back together again ASAP… I hope that's cool with everyone? (^_^;)

I do not own anything other than my OC.

* * *

Unless specified, the POV will be third person omniscient.

"Japanese Speech"

'thoughts'

**"English speech"**

—∞—|—∞— Scene and/or time transition

—∞— shift between areas of action or POV within the same scene/location

{Stage directions/ setting}

[[Telepathic communication]]

* * *

**Previously:**

"_So, what are we going to do now?" Kagura asked as they flew off into the night. "Are we going to keep killing priests, or what?"_

"_No, that's over. Humans just can't provide it." Hakudōshi told her. 'The scenery I saw in his heart just before he cut me in half…' He thought, remembering his encounter with that last monk. 'Could that have been the borderline between this world and the next…? To me, it looked like a world shrouded in white fog…' Was this really what Naraku had been looking for? If that woman, Katsumi, had just cooperated and given them the information the seek… Then he wouldn't have had to bother with such a tedious task. Not only had she severely injured Naraku, but now she seemed to have somehow managed to drop off the face the of the earth, since even Naraku couldn't find her current location… 'Still… Now that I've gotten involved… I want to gain more knowledge about that scenery.' Hakudōshi decided, narrowing his eyes slightly. '… And in that case, I…'_

* * *

The crescent moon was high in night the sky. The treetops swayed in the wind.

_RUSTLE…_

It seemed so peaceful up above, that one would probably never guess that down below, on the ground, a human was running for his life.

"_EE—EEEK!"_ The misfortunate traveler screamed with fright as he glanced back over his shoulder to check whether the beast was pursuing him, not even caring when he lost his straw hat. "Yo… Youkai…!" He shouted incredulously, shocked to see that the beast stalking him was not a normal animal as previously assumed, but a sinister boar youkai wearing a necklace of human skulls and armed with a naginata. _It was right behind him now!_

The youkai laughed wickedly as he attacked, using his weapon to mercilessly cut the terrified human down.

"Geh heh heh!" He chuckled, smirking, as he collected the human's head to add to his collection.

_SCHH…_

The youkai froze when he felt a disturbance in the force and glanced up towards the sky. _Something big was coming…_

_CRUSH!_

A giant hoof suddenly came crashing down, trampling the youkai and crushing his head and necklace of skulls underfoot before he even had a chance to react. And then, Kagura stepped out of the shadows and approached the dead youkai's bloody naginata.

"Here, catch." Kagura said, carelessly flinging the dangerous weapon up at Hakudōshi. He smirked as he caught the large weapon with ease.

"Can you really use that thing?" Kagura asked skeptically as they took to the sky again.

"Don't make fun of me." Hakudōshi replied rather curtly, but then he smirked as he lifted his arm, testing out how the weight of the weapon felt in his hand. "And also, I'd like to… get used to this body quickly!"

"Ohh?" Kagura remarked thoughtfully as she watched. 'This brat… unlike Naraku… he doesn't mind carrying out the dirty deeds with his own hands, huh?' She silently observed.

—∞—|—∞—

{Later that evening…}

_FWOOSH~_

Kagura and Hakudōshi were once again soaring through the dark sky after going on to attack several more random youkai in the area. However, unlike the boar, Hakudōshi didn't let Entei crush their heads… No, this time, he had used his new naginata to sever their grotesque heads from their necks with his own hands. Hakudōshi smirked as he glanced back at his collection of severed youkai heads that he had chained up and strapped to Entei's back. He was clearly enjoying this, like a child playing an amusing game of some sort.

'This brat… what the hell is he thinking?' Kagura wondered, furrowing her brow. It looked like she had gotten involved with another worrisome guy…

—∞—|—∞—

"Ne, Jaken-sama. Where did Sesshoumaru-sama go off to?" Rin asked curiously, warming her hands with the fire while she roasted some mushrooms to eat.

"Who knows?" Jaken replied miserably, tired of constantly being left behind to babysit. 'He always was a reticent man, but… ever since he failed defeat Naraku at Mt. Hakurei, he's become eve more so.' He thought, sweat-dropping. And Katsumi certainly hadn't helped the situation by getting herself wounded like that. Sesshoumaru had been in such a foul mood for days after the incident, that Jaken felt he must have lost nearly a century off his life from stress! 'But, good lord, he could at least say where he's going!' The imp thought, letting out a long, tired sigh. Though he hated to give that brat credit for anything, when Katsumi was around, she could usually managed to get at least that much out of Sesshoumaru…

"Jaken-sama, long sighs make happiness run away." Rin told him innocently, quoting one of her Katsumi-nee's teachings. It had been nearly a month now since Katsumi-nee's grandfather had come to take her away to be healed. Rin really hoped her Katsumi-nee was alright and would be coming back to them soon… She missed her Katsumi-nee, and Rin could tell Sesshoumaru-sama missed her, too…

—∞—|—∞—

A cool breeze was blowing while a stoic Sesshoumaru stood atop the grassy, green knoll that overlooked a nearby village. The daiyoukai placed a steadying hand on the hilt of his quivering sword, stilling it.

'Tenseiga… What is exciting you…?' He silently asked, wondering if the sword's odd behavior could be a reaction to the strange youki he had been sensing over the past few days. Some of the local youkai had some rather strange patterns to their movements lately, as if they had been stumbling around blindly…

Sesshoumaru decided he might as well investigate, if only to cease Tenseiga's rattling.

—∞—|—∞—

The sun had just disappeared beyond the horizon when the answer to Sesshoumaru's question came stumbling towards him in the form of a heavily wounded, headless youkai. From the look and smell of its body, it seemed to be a kawauso, and it had multiple spears and arrows piercing its back. Sesshoumaru watched emotionlessly as the dying kawauso tripped and fell. When its struggles to stand again proved futile, it then continued to crawl forward, as though desperate to reach some goal it had set for itself, desperate to live…

Sesshoumaru furrowed his brow ever so slightly, frowning, as the headless corpse finally collapsed near his feet in a position, far too similar for his liking, to the one he had found an injured and unconscious Katsumi in not too long ago.

Tenseiga had finally stilled. Was this what the sword had wanted him to see…? To make matters even more unpleasant, Sesshoumaru then detected an annoying and familiar scent speeding towards him. It was Inuyasha and his motley group of friends.

"Ah!" Kagome gasped as they arrived on the scene, surprised to see the daiyoukai there.

"Sesshoumaru!" Miroku shouted, equally surprised. From their group's point of view, it seemed so random for someone like Sesshoumaru to turn up near little Kanta's father. The only one who didn't seem surprised to see Sesshoumaru was Inuyasha, who had also been able to pick up his brother's scent before they met up with him in person.

"…" Sesshoumaru said, wondering why they were there. It wasn't like Inuyasha to actively seek him out like this.

"!" Inuyasha, and several other members of the Inu-tachi gasped once they had recovered from their shock of seeing Sesshoumaru and finally noticed the body lying at his feet.

"Ah…" Shippo said unsurely, afraid they might be too late.

"O… _Otooou!"_ Kanta cried, alarmed, as he jumped down from his perch on Inuyasha's shoulder and ran over to his father's heartbreakingly still body. _"Hold on, Otou!"_

"Kanta… anyway, the head…!" Shippo said urgently as he jumped off of Inuyasha's head to join his little friend, hoping they could still save him. He didn't want Kanta to have to lose his father the same way he had…

"Wuuh!" Kanta sobbed, nodding in affirmative, as he slid the large bundle from his back and rushed to untie the knots.

_FLAP._

Sesshoumaru watched silently as the two children hurriedly unwrapped the bundle to reveal an adult kawauso's head. Now he understood their purpose for being there. They were going to try to save the little otter's father by reattaching his head, however…

No matter how hard they tried, the small kitsune and kawauso couldn't get the head to stick to the neck, and it rolled uselessly to the side, completely lifeless.

"It's no good, huh…?" Miroku asked regretfully.

"Wuh… _Waahaa! Otooou!_!" Kanta wailed miserably as he clung to his father's cold head, bursting into tears.

"Kanta…" Shippo said sympathetically, understanding all too well how his poor friend must feel.

"…" Sesshoumaru said as he solemnly watched the young kawauso mourn his deceased father, before turning to leave. Once again, staying here had only brought to mind memories of the past that he felt were better left forgotten… He still didn't know Tenseiga would want to bring him here, but Sesshoumaru decided he had seen and heard more than enough of this little family drama.

"… Hey, Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha called out to his older brother, deciding to risk it. "Why're you here? I don't really think you're just passing by." Sesshoumaru paused to glance black at Inuyasha over his shoulder.

"… I have nothing to say to the likes of you." He replied coolly, before continuing on his way. He had already wasted enough time on this.

"…" Kagome said as she watched him go. Now that she had more time to think about it, she had noticed Katsumi wasn't with him… Did that mean she was still with her grandfather, being healed…? Shouldn't she have returned by now? Without Katsumi around, Sesshoumaru seemed to have become even colder… If Katsumi were here, surely she would have tried to help them. She may have even asked Sesshoumaru to use his Tenseiga…

Kagome shot to her feet, startling Shippo and Kanta, whom she had been trying to comfort. _That's it…!_

"Wait, Sesshoumaru!" She called out, relieved when the daiyoukai stopped again to hear her out. "Your sword… Tenseiga has the ability to link life, right? Please… Use Tenseiga" Kagome beseeched him earnestly on Kanta's behalf. "Use Tenseiga to save his dad's…"

"This has nothing to do with me." Sesshoumaru replied coldly. He had given her a chance to speak out of courtesy in light of her friendship with Katsumi, as well as the faint possibility that she may have been able to give him more current news on the absent girl's status.

"Uh… Uhm…" Shippo said nervously, trembling as he cautiously approached the scary daiyoukai. "P… If you can, please save him…"

"Shippo-chan…" Kagome said softly.

"Shippo…" Inuyasha said, a little proud of the kit for standing up for his friend, especially someone as dangerous as Sesshoumaru.

"If… If his Otou dies…" Shippo continued nervously, gulping. "Then Kanta… will end up all alone!"

"Move." Sesshoumaru ordered the kit coolly, though slightly less frigidly than when he had replied to Inuyasha and Kagome. He thought this small kitsune was rather brave to have approached one such as himself, though it was obvious every instinct in Shippo's tiny body was telling him to run from the way he was shaking and the cold, nervous sweat forming on his brow. However, that did not necessarily mean Sesshoumaru would grant his request.

"Please!" Shippo cried, dropping to his knees, and bowing profusely. He was desperate now. He couldn't bear to see Kanta's father die like his! "Please! _I beg you! Pleaase!"_

"Shippo-chan." Kagome said gently, laying a hand on his shoulder to stop him. It seemed Sesshoumaru had no intention of helping them, and she didn't want Shippo to get hurt testing the stoic daiyoukai's patience.

"But…!" Shippo protested with tears in his eyes, unwilling to give up so easily while there might still be a chance to help Kanta and save his father.

"It's no use, Shippo." Inuyasha cut in. "It's too bad… But Sesshoumaru isn't the type to go around saving people. Katsumi would have helped us without a second thought if she were here, but she's not. And besides that, Tenseiga… isn't something Sesshoumaru can use."

"…" Sesshoumaru said, narrowing his eyes slightly at the mention of Katsumi. How dare Inuyasha bring her name into this.

"That's right… One without a caring heart should not be able to use the Tenseiga…" Miroku said. If Katsumi were there, she surely would have done her best to help them, but they could not rely on Sesshoumaru to show such compassion.

"Precisely." Sesshoumaru replied calmly as he turned to continue on his way. The only ones he had ever succeeded in saving by using Tenseiga were Rin and then Katsumi.

_TH-THUMP._

"!" Sesshoumaru said, stopping short, when he felt a energy begin to pulse within Tenseiga again. 'Tenseiga is stirring… Is it telling me to save that demon? _Why_…?' He wondered, furrowing his brow. What made this dead kawauso so significant…?

Sesshoumaru drew Tenseiga and took a step towards the corpse, surprising them.

"Sesshoumaru…" Kagome said, wondering what had brought about this sudden change of heart.

"Move." Sesshoumaru ordered Kanta, who was still clinging to his father's head. The little Kawauso stopped sobbing long enough to raise his head and look up at the inu daiyoukai.

"Eh…?" He said, confused but hopeful, as he did what Sesshoumaru had asked and moved out of the way. Sesshoumaru slowly inhaled as he raised Tenseiga, and the strange creatures he had seen before on Rin and Katsumi fazed into view.

'I can see them…' Sesshoumaru thought. '… The messengers from the underworld.' He exhaled.

SLASH!

With one swift stroke, Sesshoumaru cut them all down with Tenseiga, removing them from the Kawauso's body.

'Did he cut something…?' Miroku wondered as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. For a moment, it felt as though the air around Sesshoumaru had gained some otherworldly quality…

A gentle breeze blew as Kanta's father slowly opened his eyes again, completely revived.

"Ah!" Kagome and Shippo gasped in surprise, amazed that it had actually worked. Kanta's eyes widened in amazement as a big smile spread across his furry little face.

"O… _Otoooou~!"_ Kanta yelled, running to his father with tears of joy and relief streaming down his face. Kanta's father lifted himself up off the ground slightly when he heard his son, and pulled the boy into a loving embrace, relieved to see that no harm had come to him.

—∞—|—∞—

{One tearful and heartfelt father-son reunion later…}

"Phew!" Kanta's father said as he removed the last arrow from his back. "I thought I'd never be able to come back."

"Um… Just where did you go, exactly?" Miroku asked.

"Ahh… It was a very mysterious place indeed…" The kawauso replied, sighing. "It was a world shrouded in white mist… and there, I was floating around, with only my head. Then I noticed that there were some others, too… a whole load of oni, all with terrible expressions on their faces."

"More youkai who were beheaded by Hakudōshi, huh?" Inuyasha said.

'Hakudōshi…?' Sesshoumaru thought, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly.

"Ugh…!" Kanta's father said, shuddering at the memory, shaking his head to rid himself of such thoughts, before continuing his story. "Then I dove beneath the mist, and… down there I saw… giant bones."

"Giant bones?" Kagome asked curiously. This was starting to sound kind of familiar…

"Yeah, there was a giant skeleton clad in magnificent armor…" He said, causing Inuyasha and Kagome to gaps in realization, while Sesshoumaru, who had been listening with his eyes closed, slowly opened them. It seems this matter may not be completely unrelated to him, after all. "And there were lots of other skeletons, too." Kanta's father added. "I wonder if that's what they call 'the afterlife'? I'm really grateful that you saved me…"

"!" Kagome said, realizing they hadn't properly thanked the person responsible for this miracle yet. "Umm… Sesshoumaru, thank…" She started to say as she turned to face him, but her words fell short when she realized he was already several yards away from them. "Ah…" She had wanted to ask him about Katsumi, too…

"He left…" Sango said, somewhat stunned. This had to be the first time she had ever seen the two brothers in the same place at once without things coming to blows between them…

—∞—

'Tenseiga… what was it trying to tell me…?' Sesshoumaru wondered as he walked away, deep in thought. 'To make me find out about that…? Why would I bother with _that place_?'


End file.
